Guidewire apparatus for temporary distal embolic protection

• US 6,706,055 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ave Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Ave Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Douk, Nareak, Rafiee, Nasser, Sauvageau, David J., Dapolito, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, KEVIN THAO
• Application Number:
  US10/351,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20030135232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 606/200, 606/113, 606/114, 606/127, 606/159
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12036 partial occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1204 temporary occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12109 in a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12172 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22038 with a guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22045 fixed to the catheter; guiding tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/013 Distal protection devices, i.e. devices placed distally in combination with another endovascular procedure, e.g. angioplasty or stenting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/018 made from tubes or sheets of material, e.g. by etching or laser-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0006 circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0071 spherical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09008 having a balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09183 having tools at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1015 having two or more independently movable balloons where the distance between the balloons can be adjusted, e.g. two balloon catheters concentric to each other forming an adjustable multiple balloon catheter system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09025 with sliding mandrils
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1011 Multiple balloon catheters

Abstract

A guidewire apparatus for use during percutaneous catheter interventions such as angioplasty or stent deployment. A protection element comprising a filter or an occluder is mounted near the distal end of a steerable guidewire, which guides a therapeutic catheter. The guidewire apparatus comprises a hollow shaft movably disposed about a core wire. The shaft and core wire control relative displacement of the ends of the protection element, causing transformation of the protection element between a deployed configuration and a collapsed configuration. The protection element is freely rotatable about the guidewire apparatus. A tracking member disposed adjacent the distal end of the guidewire apparatus can be used to guide the device along another guidewire. Thrust bearings may be employed to facilitate unlimited rotation of the steerable guidewire within the protection element, especially while the protection element is retained in the collapsed configuration.

Claims

1. A guidewire apparatus comprising:

an elongate hollow shaft;

a core wire movably disposed within the hollow shaft and having a distal end extending there from;

a transition sleeve slidably disposed about a distal portion of the hollow shaft and the core wire distal end; and

a tubular protection element having a distal end fixed about the transition sleeve and a proximal end rotatably coupled about the hollow shaft at a location proximal to the distal portion of the hollow shaft, the protection element having a collapsed configuration with a first length and an expanded configuration with a second length shorter than the first length.

2. The guidewire apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a liner interfitted between the core wire and the hollow shaft, the liner having inner and outer surfaces, wherein at least one of the surfaces has a low coefficient of friction.

3. The guidewire apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tracking member being adapted to slide over another guidewire and being fixed alongside a distal end of the guidewire apparatus.

4. The guidewire apparatus of claim 3, wherein the tracking member is fixed alongside the core wire distal end.

5. The guidewire apparatus of claim 3, further having a flexible tip member fixed about the core wire distal end, wherein the tracking member is fixed alongside a distal end of the transition sleeve.

6. The guidewire apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a distal stop element fixed within a distal end of the transition sleeve; and

a proximal stop element fixed about the core wire distal end at a location proximal to the distal stop element;

wherein the proximal stop element has a maximum transverse dimension greater than a transverse inner dimension of the distal stop element.

7. The guidewire apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a distal thrust bearing fitted about the core wire distal end and disposed longitudinally between the distal stop element and the proximal stop element.

8. The guidewire apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a flexible tip member fixed about the core wire distal end and being disposed radially between the core wire distal end and the proximal stop element.

9. The guidewire apparatus of claim 6, wherein the proximal and distal stop elements cooperate to limit sliding of the transition sleeve in a proximal direction along the core wire.

10. The guidewire apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a distal check element fixed about the hollow shaft at a location distal to the protection element proximal end.

11. The guidewire apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a proximal thrust bearing fitted about the hollow shaft and disposed longitudinally between the distal check element and the protection element proximal end.

12. The guidewire apparatus of claim 10, wherein the distal check element limits sliding of the protection element proximal end in a distal direction along the hollow shaft.

13. The guidewire apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a proximal check element fixed about the hollow shaft at a location proximal to the protection element proximal end.

14. The guidewire apparatus of claim 13, wherein the proximal check element limits sliding of the protection element proximal end in a proximal direction along the hollow shaft.

15. The guidewire apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protection element is a filter.

16. The guidewire apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protection element is an occluder.

17. The guidewire apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protection element is self-transformable between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration.